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A disciple, a follower of Jesus, a Christian. The Bible considers
them all the same. But what exactly is a "disciple," a
"follower" or a "Christian"? Many definitions
have been invented - in fact, if you ask around, you might come up
with a dozen or more definitions.
Here, we focus specifically on how the Bible defines this
concept. We are going to examine this issue in several different ways,
to show that we are not simply picking verses we want, to try
to prove a predetermined viewpoint. We want to make sure that the
definition presented here is the real thing.
Once we know the real definition, we can honestly reject the
other definitions as fakes, or just partly true, at best. People might
not like us doing this (any more than they did, when Jesus did it), but
this is a serious matter. Scriptures abound with warnings that many
people will be deceived into thinking they belong to God, when they
actually do not. God will hold us accountable, if we refuse to
speak up (because we fear the way people may respond), and we choose
instead to allow people to perish in their ignorance.
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WHAT IS a Disciple (or a Christian)?
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We live in a day in which people like to invent their own
definitions of what it means to be a "Christian." Here, our focus is on making a distinction
between the Bible's definition and the many definitions that have been
invented since the time the Bible was written. We can be thankful
that the Bible is quite clear on this matter. It does not leave us
guessing.
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HOW Can I Become One?
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It's not by means of performing a ritual - which many
people have done, with absolutely no change in their lives. When you
see what the Bible says, you may become amazed at how far many
"churches" have strayed from "the way of Christ."
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MAKING SURE I Am One
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The apostle John writes an entire book of the Bible on
this issue (1 John). It isn't enough to simply claim to "believe" or "have
faith." You need to make sure that your "believing" or "faith" is
genuine.
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TEMPORARY Disciples & Counterfeits
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Don't be surprised when people who look "saved"
suddenly depart from the faith. Jesus warned us that it would
happen. But does this mean they were "saved" and then became
"unsaved"? (Jesus would reply, "I never knew you.")
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Disciples & The Word CHURCH
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The word "church" has become grossly distorted, and
today often means something that is totally unrelated to the word
"church," as God uses it in the Bible. When we understand the
genuine definition of that word, and choose to let that
definition influence our perspective on this matter,
it will have a radical impact on many aspects of life.
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Jesus says...
"Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart; and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)
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